A central question to TikTok's potential shutdown saga has been whether the popular social video platform would keep its algorithm — the secret sauce that powers its addictive video feed — after it's divested from Chinese parent company ByteDance.

Now, it appears that it can. Wang Jingtao, deputy director of China’s Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, told reporters in Madrid Monday there was consensus on authorization of “the use of intellectual property rights such as (TikTok’s) algorithm” — a main sticking point in the deal.

The sides also agreed on entrusting a partner with handling U.S. user data and content security, he said. But while China has agreed that a divested TikTok could use its algorithm, it’s uncertain how that would work.

What

is the deal?

Little is known about

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